512 - General Sully's Campaign

While General Sully established Fort Rice on July 7th 1864, he had no intention of staying there very long. Not even two weeks later he led his expedition away from the new fort, escorting a wagon train of gold seekers en route to Montana. Learning of the presence of a large group of Sioux, Sully left the immigrants behind at Sully’s Heart River Corral and proceeded to Killdeer Mountain, where a large village of mostly Lakota and Yanktonai people were attacked, many killed, and winter supplies destroyed. Returning to the Heart River encampment, Sully led his troops and the wagon train west to the Yellowstone River, crossing the Badlands. Warriors from Killdeer attacked the column in retaliation, taking advantage of the Badlands landscape. As Sully and his men struggled west to the Yellowstone River, where they expected to find steamboats and supplies, instead they were met with Sioux who engaged them in what is now known as the Battle of the Badlands. Lacking sufficient horses and supplies, and with exhausted soldiers, Sully ended the campaign and returned down river. The final conflict of Sully’s campaign occurred in September of 1864 when Lakota warriors encountered another wagon train crossing their territory, resulting in the siege of Fort Dilts.